Doing good for society! How purchasing green technology stimulates consumers toward green behavior: A structural equation modeling–artificial neural network approach

publishedVersio

Lipoprotein(a) and SYNTAX Score Association with Severity of Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis in North India

Objectives: This cross-sectional study investigated the association of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels  as an atherosclerosis predictor and their relationship to the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: 360 consecutive patients at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences and King George’s Medical University hospitals, Lucknow, North India, with chest pains, CAD symptoms and on lipid-lowering therapy were enrolled between June 2009 and October 2011. Before coronary artery angiography (CAG), a fasting blood sample was assessed for lipid and Lp(a) levels. The synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with taxus and cardiac surgery (SYNTAX) score was calculated according to the CAG results. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on CAD severity and SYNTAX scores. Results: Angiography revealed CAD in 270 patients. Lp(a) levels were higher in CAD compared to non-CAD patients (48.7 ± 23.8 mg/dl versus 18.9 ± 11.1 mg/dl [P <0.0001]). The levels of Lp(a)were lower in single than in double and triple vessels (39.3 ± 18.4 mg/dl versus 58.0 ± 23.0 mg/dl, and 69.2 ± 24.1 mg/dl, [P <0.05]). Lp(a) levels were significantly higher in severe CAD with SYNTAX score >30 (88.0±24.0 mg/dl). Lp(a) levels correlated significantly with SYNTAX scores (r = 0.70, P <0.0001). Conclusion: In this study, Lp(a) levels were positively associated with a patient’s SYNTAX score in diseased vessels. Furthermore, an elevated Lp(a) level was a causal, independent risk factor of CAD. Lowering Lp(a) levels would reduce CAD in primary and secondary prevention settings. There is an urgent need to define more precisely which patients to treat and which to target for earlier interventions.

Mechanistic Insight into the role of Vitamin D and Zinc in Modulating Immunity Against COVID-19: A View from an Immunological Standpoint

The pathophysiology of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is characterized by worsened inflammation because of weakened immunity, causing the infiltration of immune cells, followed by necrosis. Consequently, these pathophysiological changes may lead to a life-threatening decline in perfusion due to hyperplasia of the lungs, instigating severe pneumonia, and causing fatalities. Additionally, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can cause mortality due to viral septic shock, resulting from unrestrained and backfiring immune reactions to the pathogen. Sepsis can cause premature organ failure in COVID-19 patients, as well. Notably, vitamin D and its derivatives and minerals, such as zinc and magnesium, have been reported to improve the immune system against respiratory illnesses. This comprehensive review aims to provide updated mechanistic details of vitamin D and zinc as immunomodulators. Additionally, this review also focuses on their role in respiratory illnesses, while specifically delineating the plausibility of employing them as a preventive and therapeutic agent against current and future pandemics from an immunological perspective. Furthermore, this comprehensive review will attract the attention of health professionals, nutritionists, pharmaceuticals, and scientific communities, as it encourages the use of such micronutrients for therapeutic purposes, as well as promoting their health benefits for a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing

Chitosan-modified nanocarriers as carriers for anticancer drug delivery: promises and hurdles

With the advent of drug delivery, various polymeric materials are being explored to fabricate numerous nanocarriers. Each polymer is associated with a few characteristics attributes which further facilitate its usage in drug delivery. One such polymer is chitosan (CS), which is extensively employed to deliver a variety of drugs to various targets, especially to cancer cells. The desired properties like biological origin, bio-adhesive, biocompatibility, the scope of chemical modification, biodegradability and controlled drug release make it a highly rough after polymer in pharmaceutical nanotechnology. The present review attempts to compile various chemical modifications on CS and showcase the outcomes of the derived nanocarriers, especially in cancer chemotherapy and drug delivery

Pharmacodynamic evaluation of clopidogrel reloading vs. switching to prasugrel or ticagrelor in clopidogrel resistant Indian patients

Objectives: To compare the pharmacodynamic effects of clopidogrel reloading vs. switching to prasugrel or ticagrelor in high on treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: Prospective, single-centre study wherein consecutive patients undergoing nonemergent PCI showing HTPR on 600 mg clopidogrel loading were randomized to either clopidogrel reloading (300 mg load, 75 mg OD) or prasugrel (60 mg load, 10 mg OD-in patients > 60 kg) or ticagrelor (180 mg load, 90 mg BD). HTPR is defined as maximum platelet aggregation (MPA) > 46% assessed by 5 μmol/L adenosine diphosphate light transmission aggregometry (ADP-LTA) assay after more than 6 h of clopidogrel loading. Platelet function were assessed at baseline, 6 h or more after clopidogrel loading, 2 h after reloading, day 1 and day 30 post-PCI. Results: 107 patients enrolled in the study, 32 (29.9%) were found to have HTPR. 10 (9.3%) patients were reloaded with clopidogrel, 10 (9.3%) with prasugrel and 12 (11.2%) with ticagrelor. Mean MPA in clopidogrel, prasugrel and ticagrelor reloaded patients was 42.6 ± 12.5%, 15.8 ± 8.6% and 14.6 ± 7.2% respectively at 2 h after reloading and was 43.7 ± 13.5%, 15.4 ± 5.6% and 12.6 ± 4.6% on day 1 post-PCI. The MPA significantly reduced in prasugrel and ticagrelor cases and not in clopidogrel, also prasugrel and ticagrelor had almost similar MPA after the reload. There was no patient with continued HTPR with ticagrelor or prasugrel while 50% (5/10) of clopidogrel reloaded patients had HTPR. The pharmacodynamic efficacy of maintenance with prasugrel or ticagrelor was better than clopidogrel (MPA at day 30 post-PCI; 15 ± 9.7%, 13.9 ± 5.1% and 50.4 ± 13.1% respectively). Conclusion: In patients undergoing PCI exhibiting HTPR after clopidogrel loading, ticagrelor or prasugrel reloading produced improved platelet inhibition which was better than clopidogrel reload and this effect was sustained during maintenance phase

Lipoprotein (a) levels in relation to severity of coronary artery disease in north Indian patients

Background: Lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] is an established risk marker of coronary artery disease which is independent from other risk factors. Objective: The aim was to address the association between Lp (a) and CAD risk in North Indians. To evaluate whether high levels of lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] is a predictor of risk and is related to the severity of CAD. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study done on 360 patients presenting with chest pain. Coronary angiography revealed CAD in 270 patients and 90 patients without CAD. Lipoprotein (a) level, lipid profile, fasting blood glucose, anthropometric and clinical parameters were analyzed. Results: Lipoprotein (a) 21.0 mg/dL is associated with the presence of coronary lesions ( P = 0.0001). A highly significant difference in Lp (a) levels was observed between normal coronaries vs. single-vessel disease, double-and triple-vessel disease ( P < 0.0001). Body mass index (BMI) was significantly raised in CAD group compared to normal coronary. Conclusion: Multivariate analysis found that Lp (a) was considered an independent predictor for severity of CAD and Lp (a) levels 21.0 mg/dL are associated with severe patterns of coronary atherosclerosis

Arsenic Exposure through Dietary Intake and Associated Health Hazards in the Middle East

Dietary arsenic (As) contamination is a major public health issue. In the Middle East, the food supply relies primarily on the import of food commodities. Among different age groups the main source of As exposure is grains and grain-based food products, particularly rice and rice-based dietary products. Rice and rice products are a rich source of core macronutrients and act as a chief energy source across the world. The rate of rice consumption ranges from 250 to 650 g per day per person in South East Asian countries. The source of carbohydrates through rice is one of the leading causes of human As exposure. The Gulf population consumes primarily rice and ready-to-eat cereals as a large proportion of their meals. Exposure to arsenic leads to an increased risk of non-communicable diseases such as dysbiosis, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic heart disease, cancer, and maternal and fetal complications. The impact of arsenic-containing food items and their exposure on health outcomes are different among different age groups. In the Middle East countries, neurological deficit disorder (NDD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cases are alarming issues. Arsenic exposure might be a causative factor that should be assessed by screening the population and regulatory bodies rechecking the limits of As among all age groups. Our goals for this review are to outline the source and distribution of arsenic in various foods and water and summarize the health complications linked with arsenic toxicity along with identified modifiers that add heterogeneity in biological responses and suggest improvements for multi-disciplinary interventions to minimize the global influence of arsenic. The development and validation of diverse analytical techniques to evaluate the toxic levels of different As contaminants in our food products is the need of the hour. Furthermore, standard parameters and guidelines for As-containing foods should be developed and implemented

Phytocompound screening, antioxidant activity and molecular docking studies of pomegranate seed: a preventive approach for SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis

Abstract A global hazard to public health has been generated by the coronavirus infection 2019 (COVID-19), which is spreading quickly. Pomegranate is a strong source of antioxidants and has demonstrated a number of pharmacological characteristics. This work was aimed to analyze the phytochemicals present in ethanolic pomegranate seed extract (PSE) and their in vitro antioxidant potential and further in-silico evaluation for antiviral potential against crystal structure of two nucleocapsid proteins i.e., N-terminal RNA binding domain (NRBD) and C-terminal Domain (CTD) of SARS-CoV-2. The bioactive components from ethanolic extract of PSE were assessed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC–MS). Free radical scavenging activity of PSE was determined using DPPH dye. Molecular docking was executed through the Glide module of Maestro software. Lipinski’s 5 rule was applied for drug-likeness characteristics using cheminformatics Molinspiration software while OSIRIS Data Warrior V5.5.0 was used to predict possible toxicological characteristics of components. Thirty-two phytocomponents was detected in PSE by GC–MS technique. Free radical scavenging assay revealed the high antioxidant capacity of PSE. Docking analysis showed that twenty phytocomponents from PSE exhibited good binding affinity (Docking score ≥ − 1.0 kcal/mol) towards NRBD and CTD nucleocapsid protein. This result increases the possibility that the top 20 hits could prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 by concentrating on both nucleocapsid proteins. Moreover, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation using GROMACS was used to check their binding efficacy and internal dynamics of top complexes with the lowest docking scores. The metrics root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), intermolecular hydrogen bonding (H-bonds) and radius of gyration (Rg) revealed that the lead phytochemicals form an energetically stable complex with the target protein. Majority of the phytoconstituents exhibited drug-likeness with non-tumorigenic properties. Thus, the PSE phytoconstituents could be useful source of drug or nutraceutical development in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis